


Chocolate

by Jupiter_the_Firefox



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Boys In Love, Cute, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Happy Ending, Long-Distance Relationship, Love Confessions, M/M, Marijuana, Mutual Pining, Pining, Smoking, Stargazing, a touch of angst if you squint, again ive used that as the basis for BOTH of my mcyt fics now help me, there's some dnf if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 02:53:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30116064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jupiter_the_Firefox/pseuds/Jupiter_the_Firefox
Summary: "Hey now think about what you do, think about what they sayThink about how to thinkPause it play it, pause it play it, pause it"-“Karl, are you asleep?” Silence. The corner of Karl’s lip twitched up into a playful smile as he heard Sapnap sigh, and he wondered if he’d just end the call to ‘save bandwidth’, as Discord would put it.That stuff doesn’t grow on trees!The giddy phrase flashed in his mind as he waited for the inevitable two-tone telltale sound of someone hanging up over this app. It didn’t come.Instead, his eyes flew open.“I wish you were here right now.” Sapnap’s soft voice was so wistful, it was almost painful. “I...I don’t know what I’d do, or where we’d go...but I just wish you were here.” There was a long, pregnant pause. Karl knew damn well he couldn’t say a word, couldn’t breathe wrong, lest he allow Sapnap to catch on that he was, in fact, confessing something very personal to a very awake man.
Relationships: Karl Jacobs/Sapnap
Comments: 4
Kudos: 62





	Chocolate

The dust had quietly settled around their world over the course of a few weeks. It had been a huge uproar on Twitter when George was finally able to come across the ocean to Florida to visit his friends, and after approximately eight and a half days, Karl had showed up at their door too, to all of their fans’ surprise. However, his visit was vastly looked over in comparison to George’s, and that was sort of his reasoning behind choosing to go when he did. The entire drive had been rather quiet, aside from his crackling radio and the CDs he’d burned whenever he couldn’t stand the fuzziness of the unfamiliar stations once he’d left town. There was a lot of quiet contemplation on that drive, over what was to come.

The sun was setting on his fifth day here, and he’d just stepped out of the warm spray of a shower’s water. The quiet hum of the bathroom’s fan was all he could hear, aside from the occasional drip of the shower head as he stepped onto the bath mat and ran a towel through his fluffy hair. Some nights the guys turned in surprisingly early, but others they’d be up all night. It was a card toss, really, on what to expect day to day. He just showered whenever he felt he needed to, and since sometimes they’d head to bed around ten-ish, he figured that picking a time around eight or nine was always safest to avoid waking anybody up. Karl felt a bit tired himself. Last night had been one of the times they’d stayed up until three or four, and despite getting up around two that afternoon, his body struggled to keep up with his constantly fucked-up sleep schedule. He’d never been a timely one when it came to sleep, but this just really threw it out of whack. He was thankful that he was still young and spry. 

Karl tugged on a change of clean clothes that he’d left sitting on the counter and dried his untameable hair down one last time before emerging from the bathroom. He flicked off the light and padded out softly, seeing that the dim lights of the house were almost all turned off. He could see a small beam of yellow light coming from under Dream’s door, and he heard soft murmuring from behind it as well. It was safe to assume that George was in there with him. He knew better than to interrupt and swung his head over to Sapnap’s. It was shut too, but the light was off.

Karl stood in place for a moment and stretched his arms way over his head with a soft whine. He heard a few vertebrae in his back crack as he reached for the ceiling, and twisted slightly in place to chase the good feeling of the burn in his muscles before dropping his arms to his side and making his way to Sapnap’s door. He tapped his knuckles against it a few times and rested his forehead on the wood, his eyebrows narrowed slightly as he listened for a response. 

“Come on in.” Sapnap’s soft voice called from the other side of the door and Karl quietly nudged his way in.

“I left my phone in here. Sorry if you were trying to sleep.” Karl whispered in a hushed tone. After dinner, the four had broken into the natural pairs they slipped into, and he’d been messing around mindlessly on Twitter until he’d decided that he needed a shower. He pressed his heel against the wood softly and heard the click of the door as it latched shut behind him. Sapnap rolled over under his covers to watch Karl cross the room to the outlet beside his bed. He unplugged his phone and stood in place, scrolling down the notifications on his lock screen with a soft, contemplative frown.

“Anything?” Sapnap asked into the quiet, his voice barely audible over the fan’s beaded string repeatedly clinking against the metal middle as the blades spun over and over.

“No.” Karl sat down as his friend tugged back the covers, setting his phone face-down and tilting his head back to gaze at the rotating blades. His eyes chased the blur as best they could, and he shut them after a second.

A comfortable, heavy silence fell over the pair. The constant tinks of metal on metal and the rush of cool September air outside of Sapnap’s window were the only sounds either person on the bed could hear. After a few slow minutes, Karl dropped his head and leaned back on his hands. He could feel Sapnap’s leg under the comforter and he drew it away to rest beside it instead. “I think I need to get out.” He admitted softly into the darkness, unsure if he was talking to his friend or just expelling it from his deepest worried thoughts. 

“Of...here?” Sapnap inquired quietly.

“Not  _ here,  _ specifically. Coming here has actually been a pretty big relief. Just...like...away. From everything.” Karl looked down at his phone, feeling it buzz with yet another notification. He tapped his index finger against the back of it a few times and shook his head before looking at his friend.

“Okay.” Sapnap sat more upright and pushed the blankets down and off of his legs, swinging them over the edge of the bed as he shoved his pillow aside too. Karl watched him with interest.

“What are you doing?”

“We’re getting out.” Sapnap responded simply. 

“What?” Karl repeated, and got to his feet when Sapnap beckoned to him.

“We’re going for a drive, away from the city. Let’s leave our phones here. You got your keys?”

“I...yeah, I do.” Karl glanced at his phone, almost anxious at the mere idea of leaving it behind. 

Sapnap noticed his hesitance and paused by the closed door. “Okay, I’ll bring mine, but only for emergencies. It’ll be off, in the glove box. Yours has to stay. That’s the whole point of the drive.”

“Are you going to bring…?” 

“Yeah.” Sapnap nodded, his voice dropping to an even softer tone as he opened his door slightly. The groaning hinges that Karl had grown accustomed to over his almost-full week here rang out dully into the dark hallway. “You go first. Get your keys, a few water bottles, whatever we’ll need. I’ll get the other stuff.”

Karl nodded silently and trotted out of Sapnap’s bedroom. He paused by his bag next to the couch, where he’d been crashing the past several days. He sat down on the thick cushions and began to paw through the small pocket in the front, fishing around for anything he’d need. His middle finger hooked into the loop of his keys, and he grabbed his wallet between his index and thumb before standing back upright on his feet. He glanced over when Sapnap followed him out of the room a minute or two later with a bag slung over his shoulder. He watched as he crossed the room to the fridge and took out two water bottles.

“That’ll be enough?” 

“You’ve watched me do this, like, two times. It’ll be more than plenty.” Sapnap hummed as he slipped them into the bag. “I’ll grab a third though, so we don’t have to share in case we both get thirsty. You’ve got your stuff?”

Karl held his keys up, still hooked on his finger, and laughed when he realized he was technically flipping Sapnap off. His friend made a face and stuck his tongue out playfully as he passed in front of him, giving Karl a gentle nudge with his shoulder as he reached for the front door. He tugged it open, and the sounds and smells of the early night hit him. It was like a refreshing douse of the September atmosphere itself. Karl breathed in deeply, shutting his eyes as he breathed it all in, standing in the doorway. He heard Sapnap shuffle beside him and he glanced over, meeting his gaze with a warm smile.

“Well, let’s head out, chauffeur.  _ My  _ chariot awaits.” Sapnap pulled the door shut and locked it behind himself. He could see a pale yellow peering through the thick curtain of Dream’s room, but he knew his friend would be too preoccupied with George to even notice that they were missing.

Karl giggled gently as he trotted down the stairs to the driveway, unlocking his car as he did so. He ducked into his seat right as his friend did the same, and started it up with a quick push and twist of his wrist. It fired up to life relatively quietly. Karl tilted his head back to watch the road as he began to back out, hearing Sapnap click his seatbelt into place. “You’re gonna have to tell me where to go. I’ve only driven to the store and back since I’ve been here.”

“Don’t you worry. You’ll just hop on the highway and drive.” Sapnap reassured. “It’s at least twenty-five miles till you switch highways, and then we’ll be headed even more inland.”

Karl nodded to show he’d been listening and began to drive down the peaceful neighborhood street. He eyed the bag at Sapnap’s feet, and decided to roll down his windows just in case. He only planned on driving the speed limit and being careful, but one never knew.

“You left it, right? Your phone?” Sapnap asked into the quiet of the car.

“Mmm.” Karl nodded and kept his left hand on the steering wheel. He held up his right as if he were being held at gunpoint by police, and shot a grin over to his friend. “ _ That’s the whole point of the drive,  _ remember?”

“Well, you, like, live on your phone, so I just wanted to make sure.” Sapnap gave Karl a playful, quizzical look. “I’m not gonna pat you down. Sheesh.” He pulled his own phone out of his pocket and pressed the power button, sliding his finger across the screen until it was dark once more. He opened the glove box and slipped it in before knocking it back closed again. He settled back in the leather seat with a deep sigh, settling his elbow on the rolled-down window and splaying his fingers against the night air that blew past. Karl picked up speed as he merged onto the highway and mimicked his action. 

They drove in silence for several miles. There wasn’t nothing to say, they both just seemed to prefer it on nights like these. Karl switched the hands that he was driving with, curling his fingers around the covered steering wheel as he turned on his radio quietly. “What stations are good around here? I got nothing but static, country shit, and stupid pop hits.”

“That’s it, Karl.” Sapnap laughed loudly, no longer having regard for any potential roommates or neighbors. It was just them and the road. “If you want good music, you’re gonna have to make your own CDs.”

“I already do that.” Karl scowled teasingly. “I’m just sick of my own music, after, like, seven hours of driving.”

“Then  _ why  _ didn’t you put on that playlist of total bangers I linked to you before you started your trip down?”

“My aux doesn’t work, Nick.” Karl chastised. “I swear, don’t you listen to a single thing that I say? It’s a two-thousand eight car- it definitely doesn’t have bluetooth.”

“You’re joking.” Sapnap responded flatly. Karl shrugged. “I’m, like, ninety percent sure that cars from that year and earlier are able to have bluetooth. You’ve just got a shitty make and model, and probably the factory radio.”

“Don’t insult my car. I’ll kick you out, and you’ll have to walk home.  _ And  _ I’ll keep your bag and smoke by myself.” Karl laughed teasingly and stole a glance over to see Sapnap’s mock-offended glare.

“Please, you wouldn’t even know how to load the bowl by yourself. Fuck off.” Sapnap rolled his eyes, and Karl was able to catch the sarcastic look in the flash of a dull orange light as they passed under it. “Our exit’s coming up. Don’t miss it, stupid. On right- the right- the  _ right _ , holy shit Karl, get the fuck over before you have to cross three lanes of traffic in two seconds.”

“There’s literally no one else out here, dude.” Karl couldn’t help but giggle as he put on his turn signal anyways, seeing the big green sign with the golden-orange exit attached to the bottom of it. He eased onto the brakes as the road began to curve, and he sat upright as he peered through the darkness. His headlights were muddled at best after living near the coast for so long, and the highway had to be recently paved, so the dark asphalt swallowed up his weak lights. 

“I’m gonna drive us back. You’ll get us killed driving stoned.” Sapnap was dramatically clutching the self-dubbed ‘oh-shit bar’ with his right hand and Karl only noticed when he finally merged onto the straight, new highway. 

“ _ Listen,  _ just because I’m new to it doesn’t mean I’m automatically a shitty driver.” Karl defended himself quickly.

Sapnap only released his grip a little bit. “Mmmm. Sure.” He mused noncommittally, and Karl was still grinning as he refocused on the road.

There were no lights on this highway. The onramp had been newly paved, but the expansively wide two lanes were old. They’d been driven on by millions of cars, but Karl somehow felt as if his-  _ their _ \- journey along it was somehow significant. He couldn’t even see the opposite direction-bound road parallel to this one. It was a new moon, Karl realized with a blink. 

“Just wait until we stop.” Sapnap spoke up, as if he could read Karl’s thoughts. “It may not be nearly as miraculous of a night sky you’d see back in Minnesota, but it’s pretty cool. Looks like it’s pretty clear too.” 

“I’m starting to think you planned this without telling me. A clear sky, a new moon?” Karl poked playfully, but Sapnap didn’t say anything. He grew quiet once more and decided to stay locked on the road. His heart was picking up pace in his chest though, because his unanswered question hung heavily between them. He knew that there was no way Sapnap could have predicted something like the weather tonight as far back as when they’d planned Karl coming down to Florida. Everything was done intentionally, him arriving after George, if only for his sake. It was nice to be famous across several platforms of social media, but it also got to be exhausting on a good day. It felt like day and night, people were watching, waiting, for his every move. He had no idea how Dream did it, being even more popular, especially while keeping his face somehow offline.

At the same time though, there was just something nagging in the back of his mind. Something that wasn’t sitting quite right. Sapnap’s lack of an answer only added to that niggling feeling.

“Did you?” Karl finally repeated his question in an even softer voice.

“No. Not...intentionally.” Sapnap answered slowly. “That wasn’t...no…” He cleared his throat and refused to look over at Karl. Just as well- the driver kept his eyes fixed on the old highway passing them by. “What I mean is...I knew your visit would land on a new moon. I wanted to take you out to stargaze at some point during your visit. Whether it happened or not was up to chance, and...I’m really glad we’re going to, now.”

“Why wouldn’t you just tell me? Or ask, or whatever?” Karl asked nervously. He was almost afraid of the answer he would receive. 

“I was worried you’d say no.” Sapnap breathed. “It’s always easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission, of course, and...with the implications we’d put between us, I thought it would sound too…”

“Okay. I get it.” Karl’s throat tightened. “I see.”

Months of quiet calls in the night flooded his mind. Over his actual phone, on Discord, Facebook, any platform they could possibly connect on, they’d talked over it. Text, voice, camera...it didn’t matter. Karl had fallen into a doze listening to his friend ramble on and on about an upcoming part of the lore for their server on a late night, and he’d closed his eyes, face-down into a pillow as he lazily paid attention to Sapnap. There had been a silence that fell over the call.

_ “Karl?” Sapnap asked, and Karl stayed quiet. For one, he was too lazy to answer, he was about to be asleep in a minute anyways. Two, he was curious about what his friend would say if he thought he was asleep. _

_ Curiosity killed the cat. _

_ “Karl, are you asleep?” Silence. The corner of Karl’s lip twitched up into a playful smile as he heard Sapnap sigh, and he wondered if he’d just end the call to ‘save bandwidth’, as Discord would put it.  _ **_That stuff doesn’t grow on trees!_ ** _ The giddy phrase flashed in his mind as he waited for the inevitable two-tone telltale sound of someone hanging up over this app. It didn’t come. _

_ Instead, his eyes flew open. _

_ “I wish you were here right now.” Sapnap’s soft voice was so wistful, it was almost painful. “I...I don’t know what I’d do, or where we’d go...but I just wish you were here.” There was a long, pregnant pause. Karl knew damn well he couldn’t say a word, couldn’t breathe wrong, lest he allow Sapnap to catch on that he was, in fact, confessing something very personal to a very awake man. _

_ Another drawn-out beat of silence. Karl listened to Sapnap exhale deeply, and then there was a muffled rustle. He was running his hands through his hair, sitting at his desktop computer with his headphones on. His audio was clear- so clear, too clear. “Goodnight, Karl.” _

**_Bu-dup._ ** _ The ended call sound resonated around his room. Probably not, in reality, but it was all Karl’s blank mind could focus on. He stared at his icon pulsing idly in the solo call, trying to match his breathing to its pace without even thinking. He finally reached up and took his phone into his hand and left the call himself. _

That had been Karl’s very first hint that Sapnap’s jokes were, perhaps, not quite as jestful as he’d previously thought. Oh sure, they were still poking fun at each other all the time, what with the flirting and teasing, but now he could hear the underlying tone in Sapnap’s voice. He’d done his best to not let on that he knew anything. He played dumb, breaking tense silences with a barking laugh or shouting something stupid into his mic.

_ “You know, George is coming to visit.” Sapnap threw out lazily one night. Karl let out a noncommittal hum, leaning back in his chair carefully. His camera was on, and he glanced up at it with a quizzical expression. _

_ “I know. The whole world knows, Nick.” His true name always escaped him when they spoke alone. Maybe it was the intimacy of being one-on-one. Sapnap never seemed to mind. If he did, he didn’t let on. _

_ “No, I know you know. I just- well, I was just thinking. When are you going to come visit?” Sapnap suggested tightly. His video was off, but Karl could feel the tension in his voice. He sat forward and set his feet on the ground. _

_ “You...you want me to visit you?”  _

_ “Well, I mean- not  _ **_just_ ** _ me. Clay, too. And hey, if you want to plan it around then, George as well. Think about it. It would be so stellar, the four of us in one room. I bet the world would end from all the good vibes.” _

_ “Please, never say good vibes again. This isn’t the sixties.” Karl made a face and shook his head like the two words left a bad taste in his mouth. He was smiling though. _

_ “Don’t avoid the question.” There was a grin in Sapnap’s voice now. “Think about it, seriously. I’d love to have you here. We all would.” _

_ “Don’t say ‘we’. Everyone knows Dream and George are gonna be holed up in their room, fucking or whatever. We’ll have to make our own fun.”  _

_ “The walls have ears, Karl. Don’t dox their relationship. Half of their views come from the suspense of the blurred lines of their relationship.”  _

_ “That is not true.” Karl’s laugh was bubbly. “Neither the walls thing, or their view count. You know I wouldn’t actually out them like that, dude. That’s like saying people only stick around for  _ **_our_ ** _ relationship, and ours isn’t even real.” _

_ Karl expected a quick quip to come over his headset, but it was just quiet. He leaned down and checked his audio jack, and then clicked to his settings. “Nick?” He asked, seeing that nothing had changed. “Can you hear me?” _

_ “I can hear, yeah.” Nick’s voice came on a moment later. “You...should consider visiting. Seriously. It would be a lot of fun.” The topic shift was smooth enough, and Karl thought nothing of it until a few hours after they’d hung up and he was casually sifting through plane tickets and dates on his phone. _

_ << Question _

_ >> answer _

_ << Why do you always get so weird when we talk about stuff? _

**_Read_ ** _ 12:15 AM _

_ Karl stared at the grey bubbles of text that popped up and disappeared a few times, and then it stayed away for a solid two minutes. He remembered that one call months ago, when he’d pretended to be asleep. All of the moments between then and now, every private call that got awkward and silent, each tense subject change...it was stupid.  _

_ >> what stuff? _

_ Karl scoffed at the simple answer, which was just another question.  _

_ << You know what stuff. The ‘us’ stuff. _

_ Sent. Karl paused. _

_ << Like, US. Every time it comes up, you do this.  _

_ Popping up, going away. Karl bit his lip in frustration and just hoped that his phone was stupid. _

_ >> it’s just weird don’t you think? the thought that you’d like me and stuff. i don’t know.  _

_ >> sometimes i see things  _

_ >> i don’t know if you do, but i do. It’s cute. i like it.  _

_ Karl’s fingers were hovering over the keys when the final message came through. _

_ >> i like you. _

Karl had screenshotted those as soon as they’d come up. He kept them carefully tucked away in an album labeled “Sap <3” that he’d created some time ago, with screenshots of his friend taken by himself as well as other people when he decided to stream with his face cam on. He, however, had pretended to fall asleep after receiving them, and had woken to a few memes from Sapnap that effectively blocked the text and offered Karl an easy out that he took.

“Pull over here.” Sapnap gestured to a dark nothingness. Karl couldn’t see the significance of it, but he hit the brakes and put on his flashers to signal to the whole lot of nobody around that he was slowing. The sound of gravel crunching under his tires was all he could hear as the whistling wind stilled around them. He turned the car off, and pushed the button once more so the flashing lights would stop flashing too. All around them, darkness engulfed the retreating light as fast as it had come, like it was chasing it. Karl’s eyes adjusted relatively quickly and he looked out his window.

“Surprisingly underwhelming.” He hummed at the sight.

“Just wait till you aren’t looking at it through glass.” Sapnap chuckled as he pulled his bag up onto his lap. He unhooked the metal clasp and flipped open the top, pulling a cheap silver tray out first and setting it flat across his thighs. Karl abandoned the view and turned to watch him as he took out a grinder and a small bag of weed. His fingers picked off a few small pieces from the cluster and set them in between the bumps and ridges of the metal grinder. He twisted the two pieces together a few times and then tapped each, respectively face down, onto the tray.

“Look at how cool you are.” Karl teased softly. Sapnap glanced up with a playful smile before setting the stem itself and the grinder back into the bag and pulled out the glass piece along with a lighter. Karl reached past him to take out one of the water bottles and cracked it open. Without exchanging any other words, Sapnap handed him the glass and Karl tipped the bottle to fill the bottom with water.

“This one’s kinda cool. Get some in through the top too.” Sapnap instructed. Karl did as he was asked, watching a few lines of water dribble down to the percolator, until it was half-submerged in cool liquid. “It doesn’t burn as badly.”

Karl handed the glass piece back over to Sapnap and he carefully set the bowl packed full now into the small space intended for it. He tugged a lighter out of his pocket and eyed Karl. “Hotbox this bitch?” He asked. 

“If you’ll help me get the smell out by tomorrow.” Karl agreed, and watched as Sapnap brought the piece up to his mouth. He rested his lips against the mouthpiece and flicked the lighter a few times, then kept his thumb pressed down on the button as he made a few small circles with the tiny flame and breathed in. His dark eyes closed and he wiggled the bowl a few times as the chamber filled with smoke, and then he pulled it out, inhaling deeper and leaning back. He passed it over to Karl and exhaled shakily, only allowing himself to cough once it was all expelled from his lungs. Already Karl had lost sight of the stars he could see through the window, but he didn’t even bother glancing as he did the same. He didn’t take nearly as big of a hit, since he wasn’t an avid smoker like Sapnap.

“Do another.” Sapnap dared with a wicked grin. “Bet you won’t.”

“Bet I will.” Karl fired back with a cheeky smile as he pressed his lips against the piece again and sucked in a deeper breath, as if meeting Sapnap’s challenge. The white smoke filled quickly and Karl almost pulled  _ too  _ hard as he nearly tucked his stomach in with how much he was inhaling. He sputtered out a sharp cough as it burned his throat and instantly regretted it, nearly gagging on air as he shoved the bong back over to Sapnap, who took it with a loud cackle. 

Sapnap drew a quick hit from it and then fished into his bag for the second water bottle. He twisted the cap loose and passed it over to the poor dying man, who took it with shaky hands and took a few tiny, slow sips as he struggled to regain his breathing. The heavy, smoky air didn’t help one bit. It was a good two or so minutes until Karl was able to do so without coughing.

“Pu-ssy.” Sapnap enunciated the word with a small hum as he rested the piece in his lap, thumping his head against the headrest with a deep sigh. “This bowl’s almost cashed. You did a huge number on it there, Karl.”

“F-fuck you.” Karl spat out with a light glare over at his friend. He couldn’t stop smiling already though, feeling the blood rush to his head. That was the  _ one  _ perk of coughing with the smoke still in his lungs; it got him high as a motherfucker far quicker than taking it easy. The burn was almost gratifying now that he had regained his breathing for the most part, and he rested his head against the cool window, smearing off some of the condensation that had built on the inside of it. He exhaled heavily and closed his eyes, biting his bottom lip with a lazy grin.

“We’ll chill out for a few minutes, let it set in, and then-” Sapnap leaned over. “-we’ll look. It’s awesome, I swear. Especially when you’re fucked up.”

Karl let out a grumble of understanding but kept his forehead pressed to the cool glass of his window. 

“You okay?” Sapnap’s voice took on a tone of concern.

“Uh…’m good, just- that was a big one.” Karl muttered, cracking open one eye and steadying his breathing again. If he lost track of it, he’d hyperventilate, and the last thing he needed was to be sent spiraling into a panic attack over it. He knew he’d be fine, it was just a matter of keeping his breathing. 

“In through your nose, out through your mouth.” Sapnap instructed gently, just as calm as the first few times they’d done this. “You’re fine. You’re right, it’s all good. I’m genuinely impressed, Karl.”

“Thanks.” Karl smiled over at his friend as his beating heart slowed just a touch, and he sighed slowly. He sat upright and looked at him. It was hard to see in the dark, but he could make out his soft smile and dark eyes. They were almost the color of chocolate, a deep, rich brown. 

Karl focused on the sound of their breathing. It was all he could hear in the otherwise deafeningly-quiet car. His eyes darted over when he heard the flick of the lighter, and he watched as Sapnap finished off the rest of the bowl. He watched him breathe the pale smoke into the heavy air of the car and he inhaled deeply, his lips parting slightly. 

“Piggybacking off of my high?” Sapnap called over teasingly as if they weren’t sharing the same bowl just a few minutes ago. “You know, it’d be more effective to shotgun it from me rather than sit all the way over there.”

“Shotgun?” Karl asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“Yeah. Shotgun.” Sapnap cracked open the door and plucked the spent bowl from the piece, gently tapping it upside-down so the burnt weed would crumble from it. He shut it just as quickly to prevent as much smoke from escaping as possible. “You know, like, I breathe it into your mouth after I take the hit. Or if you wanted to, you could, but I’m way better at this than you, so…” 

Karl’s face flushed at the idea. It...it  _ did  _ seem like the most effective use of the weed though, and he sat quietly for a second until Sapnap’s curious gaze landed on him. He couldn’t see if he was blushing too or not. 

He realized he was waiting on him to say something, to answer. “You’re not better than I am.” He argued back quickly. 

Sapnap leaned back in his seat as he took up the tray again, grinding up another small portion of weed. He seemed almost disappointed in the lack of an answer as he picked it with his fingers and set it in the bowl. “Well, there’s only one way to prove that.” He suggested casually. “I mean- unless you don’t want to. That’s fine. I know it’s- uh, yeah. Implications. I just- it’s what some people do.” 

Karl looked at his hands as Sapnap took up the lighter once more. “Wait.” He cut in softly just before he dragged the flame across the surface and met Sapnap’s eyes. “Yeah. Let’s- you first. To me.” 

Sapnap’s mouth twitched up into a smile. He didn’t respond verbally but he lit a corner of the bowl as he breathed in. Karl squirmed anxiously in his seat and at the last second, thought to undo the belt that strapped him in. He set one hand on the center console, the other gripping the edge of the cupholder as he leaned in a little. Sapnap tugged out the bowl and finished inhaling. He quickly set the piece down onto his lap and reached across the seats to cup Karl’s cheek in his hands. Karl’s breath hitched and he instinctively shrank back just a little when his friend moved in closer, but he parted his lips and tilted his face up to accept the smoke that was billowing from his friend’s mouth into his own. He coughed softly and felt their lips bump together a time or two as he pulled away, shaking his head just a titch.

“Not so bad?” Sapnap asked curiously as he sat back, drawing his hands into his lap. Karl shook his head in denial and rubbed his palm against his cheek, as if he could wipe away the blush that stained his face. “Ready to try?” 

Karl lowered his fist and made a grabby-hand for the bong and his shorter friend passed it over with a chuckle. It was still burning so he didn’t bother with the lighter, just taking his own naturally smaller hit and struggling to keep from sputtering once again. He fumbled with it as he tried to move quick enough to stop his body from forcefully exhaling it out too soon, and pulled Sapnap over by the collar of his shirt as he let it out into his mouth. This one was much clumsier, much less in control. Their lips were brushing every other second as they both tried to adjust at the same time, and there was perhaps a second of peace before Karl had to draw away to cough and breathe. He felt dizzy and light-headed, and he swayed in place for a moment. Four hits was more than he’d done before on his trip. Three and a half, really, since Sapnap’s shotgun hadn’t been as strong as a full-force one he’d taken himself.

“Remember how to breathe.” Sapnap instructed calmly once more. “Say it. Let me hear you talk.”

“I-in through my nose, out through my mouth.” Karl gasped out and struggled to obey the simple suggestion. It was so much easier to just pant for air, but he knew he’d lose control and panic if he didn’t. 

“I’m gonna crack my door open.” Sapnap said definitively as he hooked the handle once more and nudged it open. Karl decided to do the same and nudged his own open, and couldn’t help but glance up at the sky.

Woah. 

“Nick.” Karl whispered in disbelief as he stared at the expansive sky overhead. It seemed like there were millions of stars speckled across the night, and he swore he could see a streak of green from a distant nebulae or some crazy shit like that if he squinted. Of course, he could just be high. He had no idea. 

“Okay, well, it was supposed to be a shared moment.” He heard Sapnap’s voice from the other side of the car but he just couldn’t tear his gaze away. “Come on.” Karl heard the sound of the passenger door being shut and he struggled to get to his feet to do the same. He reached for his friend’s arm when it was offered and stood on shaky legs, immediately feeling much higher than before now that he’d stood up and it hit him.

Karl turned around and winced as a bright light in the distance blinded him for a second. He realized it was a car and instinctively stepped back against Sapnap, who put an arm protectively around his shoulders and steered him away from the road. They didn’t  _ hide,  _ perse, but sort of... _ ducked  _ as the car came flying past without a single regard for the pair of friends. Karl giggled, beside himself with humor as he gazed to the sky again.

“Up. Up on the hood.” Sapnap urged gently as he guided his stoned friend with an amused sigh. Karl awkwardly shuffled backwards on his hands, his jeans sliding a few times over the slightly curved hood. 

“My buttons won’t scratch the paint, will they?” Karl asked dumbly.

“No, Karl.” Sapnap answered with a mock-patronizing voice, taking a seat beside him and following his gaze. 

Karl was at a loss for words now. The taillights of the passing car had already faded in the distance and they were surrounded by shadows once more. He could hear the distant croak of frogs, and a breeze that ruffled his mussed hair, but otherwise it was quiet. He risked a glance towards Sapnap and felt his heart jump when he realized he was already gazing at him.

“Wh-”

“Can I kiss you?” Sapnap blurted suddenly, his chocolate-brown eyes widening. Karl stared at him back in shock. “I mean- Karl, I know you saw my text that one day. I like you. I like you a  _ lot.  _ And- fuck, you’re so beautiful and pretty out here, and I just- I’ve wanted to kiss you. For ages. And I’m sorry if in the car, that was me just being forceful and pushy, I didn’t mean to- I didn’t want to make it seem-”

“Yeah.” Karl’s tongue swiped over his lips, which were incredibly dry. Whether it was from being dehydrated, smoking, anxious, or a mix of all three, he wouldn’t know.

“What?” 

“Yeah, you can kiss me. Please, Nick.” Karl put all of his weight on his right hand as his left lifted from the hood behind himself and he touched his face, feeling the rough stubble under his fingertips as he ran them down his cheek. His breath felt knocked from his chest and he barely had time to draw one in before his friend closed the distance between them, and he naturally leaned back when he came forward, closer, Sapnap’s big hand hooking into the collar of his shirt. It was a long, drawn-out moment. Karl’s eyes fluttered shut as he lost himself in it entirely, chanting that stupid line in his head to keep from freaking the fuck out.  _ In through your nose, out through your mouth.  _ Every split second the kiss would break he’d take the opportunity and exhale a tiny bit before they’d be pressed together again. 

Sapnap finally drew back to breathe in deeply, and Karl did the opposite. His mouth hung open just a little bit as he locked eyes with the other man, and he couldn’t stop a jovial smile from creeping up onto his lips. 

“You planned this.”

“I  _ didn’t! _ ” Sapnap insisted with a surprised laugh. “I mean, not like- I didn’t- it was a  _ rough draft  _ at best!”

Karl rolled his eyes and squirmed the distance between their bodies, tucking himself entirely under Sapnap’s offered arm and grinning at him shyly. His head was whirling, from the high of the weed as well as off of his friend. Boyfriend? The confused look must have crossed his face, and he was sure he was as readable as a book at that moment, because Sapnap seemed to be able to pick his mind. “It’s okay. We can talk. I’ll text Dream, tell him where we are. I think we should spend the night out here. It’s basically a desolate highway, and we can head back before dawn. I’ll drive.” 

Karl nodded to signal his agreement with the plan. He drew his legs up to his chest and rested his head on Sapnap’s shoulder, gazing up at the dark sky that painted his vision. He could see a distant plane’s lights blinking steadily across the horizon, and his heart ached as he realized he’d have to leave in a short week himself, in the very car they were sitting on. He tilted his head back to gaze at Sapnap and bit his bottom lip gently. “Nick…”

“Of course.” Sapnap murmured in response and tipped his face back to kiss him again, even softer than the first time. It was far more relaxed, an exchange of gentle passion rather than tense energy. Karl set his slim fingers on his broad chest and pressed back ever so delicately. The coming days would surely be awkward and confusing, but this moment here and now was all he’d ever wanted. Karl smiled into the kiss and threw his other arm up to hold onto his shoulder, around his back, and pressed one final peck to his lips. 

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the song 'Chocolate' by The 1975. I know there's a surprising amount of smoking MCYT/DreamSMP fics, and I really wanted to try my hand at it. <3


End file.
